Samuel Anoints Saul

1Then Samuel (his name is El) took a flask of oil, poured it on Saul’s head, kissed him, and said, “Has not the LORD {YHWH} anointed you ruler over His inheritance?a 2When you leave me today, you will find two men at Rachel’s (little lamb) tomb in Zelzah (shadow) on the border of Benjamin (son of the right hand). They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you seek have been found, and now your father has stopped worrying about the donkeys and started worrying about you⁺, asking, “What should I do about my son?”’

3Then you will go on from there until you come to the Oak (Terebinth)b of Tabor (mound). Three men going up to God {Elohim} at Bethel (house of God) will meet you there, one carrying three young goats, another carrying three loaves of bread, and another carrying a skin of wine. 4They will greet you and give you two loaves of bread, which you will accept from their hands.

5After that you will come to Gibeah of God \Gibeath-Elohim/,c where the Philistines (immigrants) have an outpost. As you approach the city, you will meet a group of prophets coming down from the high place, preceded by harps, tambourines, flutes, and lyres, and they will be prophesying.

6Then the Spirit of the LORD {Ruach YHWH} will rush upon you, and you will prophesy with them; and you will be transformed into a different person.

7When these signs have come, do as the occasion demands, for God is with you. 8And you shall go before me to Gilgal (a wheel), and surely I will come to you to offer burnt offerings and to sacrifice peace offerings. Wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you are to do.”

Samuel’s Signs Fulfilled

9As Saul turned to leave Samuel (his name is El), God {Elohim} changed Saul’s heart, and all the signs came to pass that day. 10When Saul and his servant arrived at Gibeah (the hill),d a group of prophets met him. Then the Spirit of God {Ruach Elohim} rushed upon him, and he prophesied along with them.

11When all those who had formerly known Saul saw him prophesying with the prophets, they asked one another, “What has happened to the son of Kish (bent)? Is Saul (desired) also among the prophets?”

12Then a man who lived there replied, “And who is their father?” So the saying became a proverb: “Is Saul (desired) also among the prophets?”

13And when Saul had finished prophesying, he went up to the high place.

14Now Saul’s (desired) uncle asked him and his servant, “Where did you⁺ go?”

“To look for the donkeys,” Saul replied. “When we saw they were not to be found, we went to Samuel (his name is El).”

15“Tell me,” Saul’s (desired) uncle asked, “what did Samuel (his name is El) say to you⁺?”

16And Saul (desired) replied, “He assured us that the donkeys had been found.” But Saul did not tell his uncle what Samuel (his name is El) had said about the kingship.

Saul Proclaimed King

17After this, Samuel (his name is El) summoned the people to the LORD {YHWH} at Mizpah (watchtower) 18and said to the Israelites (God prevails), “This is what the LORD, the God {YHWH Elohe} of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt (land of bondage), and I rescued you⁺ from the hands of the Egyptians and of all the kingdoms that oppressed you⁺.’

19But today you⁺ have rejected your⁺ God {Eloheikem}, who saves you⁺ from all your⁺ troubles and afflictions, and you⁺ have said to Him, ‘No, set a king over us.’ Now therefore present yourselves before the LORD {YHWH} by your⁺ tribes and clans.”

20Thus Samuel (his name is El) had all the tribes of Israel (he wrestles with God) come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin (son of the right hand) was selected. 21Then he had the tribe of Benjamin (son of the right hand) come forward by its clans, and the clan of Matri (rain of YHWH) was selected. [And he brought the family of the Matrites near, man by man.]e Finally, Saul (desired) son of Kish (bent) was selected. But when they looked for him, they could not find him. 22So again they inquired of the LORD {YHWH}, “Has the man come here yet?”

And the LORD replied, “Behold, he has hidden himself among the baggage.”

23So they ran and brought Saul, and when he stood among the people, he was a head taller than any of the others. 24Samuel (his name is El) said to all the people, “Do you⁺ see the one the LORD {YHWH} has chosen? There is no one like him among all the people.”

And all the people shouted, “Long live the king!”

25Then Samuel (his name is El) explained to the people the rights of kingship. He wrote them on a scroll and laid it up before the LORD {YHWH}. And Samuel sent all the people away, each to his own home.

26Saul (desired) also went to his home in Gibeah (hill), and the men of valor whose hearts God {Elohim} had touched went with him.

27But some worthless men said, “How can this man save us?” So they despised him and brought him no gifts; but Saul remained silent about it. [Nahash, king of the Ammonites, had viciously oppressed the people of Gad and Reuben, gouging out the right eye of each Israelite dwelling there. He would not allow anyone to rescue them, and there was no Israelite east of the Jordan whose right eye had not been gouged out. But 7,000 men had escaped from the Ammonites and settled in Jabesh-gilead.]f